Laschet succeeds Merkel as CDU party leader

Centrist Armin Laschet was elected chairman of Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) yesterday, succeeding Angela Merkel and putting him on course to run as the conservative party's candidate for chancellor in federal elections in September. Laschet, the premier of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia - Germany's most populous - won a runoff vote against Friedrich Merz, securing 521 votes against 466 for his arch-conservative rival, according to a ballot of 1,001 party delegates. At the helm of the CDU he replaces Europe's predominant politician and a consistent winner with German voters since taking office in 2005, who has said she will not run for chancellor again.

Source: Reuters